From Austria to Hollywood: "Music in the Woods" Makes Dreams Come True!
The winners of the music funding program "Music in the Woods" have been announced and can look forward to a unique opportunity: an exclusive visit to renowned music producers in Los Angeles in the summer of 2025! Travel and accommodation costs will be fully covered by the program.
After intensive workshops and months of creative work, Sara Sacoto, Lukas Rösch, and Desiree Weber emerged from a field of strong competition, impressing the jury with their remarkable compositions.
Voices from the Jury
"The quality of the submitted compositions was impressive. The winners demonstrated not only technical skill but also remarkable artistic expressiveness. I am convinced they will gain invaluable experience in Hollywood and take their careers to the next level." — Andreas Baum
"We have selected three outstanding talents who convinced us through their creativity and their intuition for music and visual language. I look forward to seeing how they incorporate their Hollywood experiences into their future projects." — Michael Dörfger
Marcus Ratka (JAM MUSIC LAB Private University): "Music in the Woods is a prime example of how talent promotion should work. Through hands-on workshops and direct exchange with industry professionals, young music producers gain not only technical know-how but also the opportunity to develop their artistic voice. The fact that three of our winners can now collaborate with international greats in Hollywood is a milestone for their personal development."
"Music in the Woods" – A Springboard for the Media Music Industry
The event, organized in cooperation with JAM MUSIC LAB Private University, AKM, SKE, the Austrian Organizers Association (VVÖ), and further partners, took place for the first time in 2024 and 2025 in Gutenbrunn (Waldviertel). The goal is to promote Austrian music creation in the fields of Songwriting, Music Production, Film Scoring, and Game Audio.
Following the first edition of the workshop, participants had the opportunity to develop their own projects and submit them for the award competition. A high-profile jury of renowned experts from the music industry selected the best entries:
- PAENDA (Singer and Producer)
- Andreas Baum (Film Composer and Sound Designer)
- Lothar Scherpe (Music Producer)
- Michael Dörfler (Mixing and Mastering Engineer)
- Paul Haslinger (Composer, former Tangerine Dream musician)
Apply Now for the Next Round!
The next edition of Music in the Woods will take place from September 16th to 20th, 2026 – the application phase starts soon! Music creators interested in Songwriting, Music Production, Film Scoring, or Game Audio should not miss this chance.
Further information: https://www.jammusiclab.com/academics/courses/music-in-the-woods
